Portable radiator



Dec. 4, 1934. G. w. WHITEHURST PORTABLE RADIATOR 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Dec. 5, 1953 I/\/- Mkilafiursi I Dec. 4, 1934. 3 w rr -r 1,983,111

PORTABLE RADIATOR Filed Dec. 5, 1933 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Dec. 4, 1934 UNITED STATES l l I 1,983,111

PATENT OFFICE PORTABLE RADIATOR George W. Whitehurst, Portsmouth, 'Va. Application December 5, 1933, Serial No. 701,077

7 Claims. (01. 12695) This invention relates to heaters using oil or other liquidfuel as aheating medium and particularly to those radiators embodying a casing within which a burner is disposed with passages permitting the circulation of air through the casing so that it may be heated by the burner and means permitting the passage of products of combustion from the burner.

i The general object of my invention is to pro.- vide a radiator or heater of this character which is particularly compact and yet has alarge heating capacity, which is light in weight, and in which the air passing. to the burner is preheated byproducts of combustion given off by the burner and in which the products of combustion are caused to travel through a circuitous course before being delivered from theflue, means being provided whereby the air of the room may come in contact with the ducts carrying off the products of combustion to thereby heat the air.

A further object is to provide a heater of this characterwith a water space or humidor for humidifying the air.

Other objects will appear in the course of the followingdescription.

My invention islillu'strated in the accompanying drawings, wherein:- Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view through a heater constructed in accordance with my invention; 1 3

Figure 2 is a vertical section through the middle of the heater from front to rear;

Figure 3 is a section on the line 3-3 of Figure 2.

The heater comprises a supporting base of any suitable character shown as formed of a rectangular frame of angle iron with legs 11 extending down from the four corners thereof. Supported on this frame midway between the ends of the frame is a plate: 12 having upwardly extending flanges 13 andriveted, bolted or otherwise attached to these flanges is a rectangular casing, the walls of which are designated 14. Mounted upon this plate 12 at the middle thereof is an oil supply chamber15 as shown in Figures 2 and 3which has feet held. to the plate 12 by means ofcthe screws 16. 9A supply pipe 17 enters this chamber. 151 and leads from any" suitable sourceofsupply. I w

Supported upon the chamber" 15:and shown as formed as part of this chamber, are-1a plurality of concentricburners 18 containing wicks 19 preferably of asbestos, these wicks extending down into the oil contained within the chamber 15. As illustrated, there are two concentric burn ers and two concentricwicks, one foreacliiburner.

a hot gas space.

Extending upward from each burner are concentric chambers 20, the walls 21 of which are perforated at 22. Disposed upon the top of these walls 22 is a cover plate 23 formed with two series of concentric slots 24, these slots being disposed, of course, over each combustion space or chamber 20. v V

Extending downward through the center of the plate 23 is anair pipesection 25 centered by a spider 26 at its lower end, the upper end of the pipe 25 projecting above the upper end of the plate 23 as shown in Figure 2. Between this air pipe section 25 and the adjacent wall of theinner combustion chamber" is an air space 27 communicating with the interiorof the inner space 20 bymeans of the perforations 22 and between the outer and inner combustion chambers 20 there is an air space 28, the perforations 22 in the Walls-of the combustion chambers20 permitting the passage of airfrom this space to the combustion chambers. The lower end of the pipe 25, it will be seen, communicates with the concentric 'air space 2'7 andinasmuch as the burners 18 are interrupted at intervals, this pipe also has communication, as shown in Figure 1, with the air-space 28. Thus air is provided for combustion. The walls 14 of the rectangular casing which encloses the burner and the combustion chambers are extended a considerable distance above the plate 23, as shown in Figures 1 and 2 and these walls 14 are spaced from the walls 21 of the outer combustion chamber so that air from the pipe 25 also passes up between these outer walls 14 and the adjacent walls 22, as shown in Figures 1 and 2 so that fresh air is also supplied to the burner through the perforations in these walls. The space 29 above the plate 23 constitutes The top of the casing 14 is closed by a plate 30 which supports athimble 31 and telescopically engaging this thimble is a pipe section 32 which at its lower end telescopi'cally engages the upwardly projecting portion of the pipe section 25.

Supported upon this plate 30 and extending transversely of the. heater is an air duct 33 which is'shown in Figure 1 as being semi-circular in cross section, this air duct opening at its opposite ends into the room. Thus fresh air from the room will-pass into the opposite ends of this duct, downward through the pipes 32 and 25 upward through the burners and this air together with the products of combustion will be discharged into thespace 29. i r I Resting upon the lateral walls 14a of the burner enclosing chamber is a wall 34 which extends laterally beyond the walls 14a and which terminates short of the pipe 32 so that an aperture 35 is left around the pipe 32 through which the products of combustion may pass. This Wall 34, together with the wall 30, therefore, forms a laterally extending duct as shown in Figure 1 for the passage of the products of combustion. In spaced relation to the walls 14a are walls 36 which extend from the wall 34 downward to the lower end of the heater. Extending from the plate 30 are the walls 37, which with the wall 36, define a duct which extends down to the bottom of the heater. At the lower end of the heater, the wall 36 is continued by a horizontal plate 38 and the wall 37 is continued by a horizontal plate 39. Extending upward from the plate 39 is a wall 40 and extending upward from the outer edge of each plate 38 is a wall 41. These walls 40 and 41 at their upper ends are continued inward and slightly upward as at 40a and 41a and discharge into a transversely extending drum 42 which is closed at its front end but open at its rear end, this open rear end projecting laterally beyond the wall 14 so as to provide a fiue which is adapted to be connected to a flue pipe 43 whereby the products of combustion may be carried olf.

It will be seen, therefore, that I have provided on each side of the heater fiues having the same width as the burner compartment or section, these fiues extending outward from the chamber 29, then extending downward to the lower end of the heater, then extending upward and forming the lateral walls of the heater and then extending inward and discharging into the drum 42, the drum being provided with the nipples 44 and defining openings 45 through which the prodnets of combustion pass into the drum.

Disposed upon the top of the heater and resting upon the walls 41a is a water pan 46 which may be removed from the top of the heater and which is provided with an opening 47 through which the water pan may be filled and through which evaporation of the water may occur to thus humidify the atmosphere.

Of course, it is to be understood that the fiue passages formed between the walls 30 and 35, 36 and 37, 33 and 39 and, 40 and 41 are closed at their front and rear ends by walls designated generally 48 and shown in Figure 3. Between the walls 14a and 36 and 37 and 40, there are air passages which extend from front to rear of the heater and which are open at their front and rear ends as shown in Figure 3. These spaces are divided into two air passages by means of dividing plates 49. There is also an air space between the plates 30 and 40a conterminous with the air spaces between the plates 37 and 40, this air space being separated into two parts by a more or less horizontally disposed plate 50. There are thus two air spaces or passages 51 and 52 formed between the plates 14a and 36 and which open at the forward and rear ends of the heater and there are two air passages 53 and 54 formed between the plates 37 and 40, these passages opening at their upper ends respectively into the two air spaces 53a and 54a formed between the plates 30 and 40a. The intermediate partitions 49 which divide these air spaces into two passages are held in place by transversebrackets 55. The front of the heater may be closed by a door 56 which when open gives access to the burner, this door being held closed by the latches 57. By opening the door, as before stated, access may be had to the burner andithcwicks; may be lighted by lifting the plate 23 with the attached combus'- tion walls and the flue section 32.

Obviously, if desired, a rear door may be provided or other means may be used for obtaining access to the wicks 19 to light them.

It will be seen that with this heater, air from the room is carried into the burner through the duct 33 and then down through the central pipes 32 and 25, then upward through the combustion chambers and out into the central space 29, that the products of combustion then travel in a circuitous course downward to the lower end of the heater, then upward adjacent the outer walls of the heater, and then inward and upward to'the drum from which they pass into the stack and that between these passages or fiues air spaces are formed open at their opposite ends and through which air from the room will circulate so as to abstract from the products of combustion all the heat possible before these products pass into the stack.

It will be seen that I have provided a heater of a very simple and compact design, which is easy to manufacture, which provides for a large heating capacity and small space, which is light in weight, and can be made with a plurality of burners, depending upon the heat desired.

In actual practice, it has been found that a heater 7 inches deep, 17 inches wide and 31 inches high will produce 570,000 B. t. u. in twenty-four hours while burning four gallons of ordinary range oil.

A heater constructed in accordance with my invention has over 16 sq. ft. of heating surface and has a very high efficiency. The heated products of combustion travel through 12 ft. of thin wall radiator section and tests through the winter period have shown 2 gal. of range oil consumed for 24 hrs. heating 5089 cub. ft. of space to 75 F.

It is to be particularly noted that the air entering the heater for combustion purposes is preheated before it passes upward around the wicks because the inlet pipe 33 for this air passes downward through the hot air chamber 29, thus preventing cold air being supplied to the wicks.

In a copending application of even date herewith, Serial No. 701,078, filed on the 5th day of December, 1933 I have illustrated a means for regulating the burners so as to secure automatically any desired heat.

While I have illustrated certain details of construction and show a special oil burner to heat the radiator, I do not wish to be limited to these details nor to the use of an oil burner as it is obvious that other means of heating could be used such as gas, coke, coal, etc., without departing from the spirit of the invention as defined in the appended claims and that, therefore, by the term burner, I include any heating appliance wherein combustion takes place.

I claim:

1. A heater of the'character described, including a casing, a burner disposed within the lower end of the casing, a fresh air duct extending downward through the casing and discharging at the base of the burner, a drum at the upper end of the casing, and fiues leading from the upper end of the casing extending downward, then laterally and then up into said drum, the downward extension of each flue being spaced from the casing and the upward extension of each flue being spaced from the downward extension whereby to provide air spaces disposed between the extension and the casing and between the downward extension and the. upward extension, said air spaces being open at their ends.

2. A heater of the character described, including a casing rectangular in cross section, a burner disposed within the lower end of the casing, a fresh air duct extending downward through the casing and discharging at the base of the burner, the fresh air duct at its upper end extending transversely of the casing and being open at its ends, a drum disposed above the upper end of the casing and having an outlet flue, and flues having a width equal to the width of the casing leading from the upper end of the casing extending downward the full length of the casing but spaced therefrom, and then extending upward into said drum, the upward extensions of the flues being spaced from the downward extensions thereof whereby to provide air spaces extending from front to rear of the heater and open at their opposite ends.

3. A heater of the character described, including a centrally disposed rectangular casing, a plurality of concentric burners disposed within the lower end of the casing, a fresh air duct extending downward through the top of the casing and discharging at the base of the burners, the fresh air duct at its upper end extending from front to rear of the casing and being open at its ends, a drum disposed above the upper end of the casing, flues leading from the upper end of the casing, the flues having a width equal to the width of the casing and extending downward in spaced relation to the casing, then laterally and then upward into said drum, the upward extension being spaced from the downward extension whereby to provide air spaces extending from front to rear and open at their ends, concentric combustion chambers extending upward from the burners and having perforated walls, the combustion chambers opening into the upper portion of the casing, and there being air spaces between said combustion chambers communicating with the air duct.

4. A heater of the character described including a casing, a burner disposed within the lower end of the casing, a fresh air duct extending downward through the center of the casing and discharging at the base of the burner, a drum disposed above the upper end of the casing, flues leading from the upper end of the casing and extending downward parallel to but spaced from the wall of the casing, then extending laterally and then upward, the upward extension being spaced from the downward extension, the upward extension discharging into said drum, whereby to leave air spaces between the casing and the downward extensions of the flues and between the downward extensions of the flues and the upward extensions thereof, each of said air spaces being divided into two parts by a partition ex- 7 tending parallel to the flues.

5. A heater of the character described including a casing, a burner disposed within the lower end of the casing, a fresh air duct extending downward through the center of the casing and discharging at the base of the burner, a drum disposed above the upper end of the casing, flues leading from the upper end of the casing and extending downward parallel to but spaced from the wall of the casing, then extending laterally and then upward, the upward extension being spaced from the downward extension, the upward extension discharging into said drum, and a water pan removably disposed upon the drum and the extensions of the flues extending to said drum and constituting the upper end of the heater.

6. A heater of the character described, including a central casing rectangular in cross section and vertically elongated, the casing being closed at its lower end, a fresh air duct extending downward through the casing and discharging at the base thereof, the fresh air duct at its upper end extending in opposite directions and being open at its ends, a plurality of burners concentrically arranged to the air duct and disposed adjacent the lower end of the casing, the burners being spaced from each other, combustion chambers extending above the burners and having perforated walls whereby air entering between said walls from the lower end of the casing can be supplied to the combustion chambers, said combustion chambers opening at their upper ends into the upper portion of the casing, flues extending laterally from said central air duct, and into which the upper end of said casing opens, said flues having a width from front to rear equal to the width of the casing, the flues extending outward, then downward in spaced relation to the lateral walls of the casing, and extending downward to the lower end thereof, then extend ing laterally, and then upwardly and then inwardly in spaced relation to the downward extension of the flues, a drum extending from front to rear of the heater and disposed above the upper end of the air duct and into which the upper end of the flues open, the drum having a flue pipe.

'7. In a heater of the character described, a casing, an air duct extending downward through the casing centrally thereof and discharging at the lower end of the casing, a burner at the lower end of the casing including a reservoir and a plurality of concentric burner troughs extending upward from the reservoir and carrying wicks, the air duct extending downward through the burner, perforated walls disposed concentric to the air duct and defining combustion chambers above the burner troughs, the spaces between said walls and between the burner troughs communicating with the lower end of the casing whereby to permit the upward passage of air, and means for supplying oil to said reservoir.

GEORGE W. WHITEHURST. 

